Employment in Estonia
Magnusson
The team at Magnusson acts for clients including Volvo Estonia and Inter Cars. Its workload includes the employment aspects of restructuring, day-to-day advice, and representing employers and employees in litigation. Senior associate Sille Eerik has notable expertise in cross-border employment matters, including overseas hires and the movement of workers. Maisvee successfully represented Clean Planet in litigation - a hearing that was broadcast publicly due to its significance to employment law. Rando Maisvee is now with Moss Legal.
Key clients
Volvo Estonia OÜ
OÜ Bestair Kaubandus
Inter Cars S.A.
Dunlop Hiflex Oy
European Fund Management Consulting OÜ
KSA Logica OÜ
OÜ Kiilto Eesti
Estonian Furniture Industry Association
Investly Holding OÜ
Association of Estonian Private Medical Services Providers
Work highlights
- Advising Volvo Trucks on employment and data protection issues.
- Advising the Estonian subsidiary of Inter Cars S.A. on its employment issues in Estonia, including handling the restructuring of the client’s agency system and transfer of employees, involving transfer of enterprise and accompanying liabilities.
- Acted for Clean Planet in employment litigation.
Sorainen
Sorainen advises on a range of complex employment matters, including restructuring, contracts, employee terminations and collective bargaining, with a strong record in cross-border cases. The firm acts for a range of international clients in industries such as telecoms, retail, and IT, handling employment disputes and advisory work. Karin Madisson leads the practice, providing significant corporate expertise. Senior associate Hannah Pakh left to join Ellex.
Key clients
Siemens
Tieto
Teligent
AGA (Linde Group)
PKC Group
MarkIT
Sportradar
HKScan
Revino Farming
Work highlights
- Advising Finnair on employment termination matters.
- Advising Sportradar on complex employment and immigration matters.
Ellex
Ellex is a sought out by major national and regional corporate clients, including Eesti Energia and Marks & Spencer. Its work spans day-to-day employment advisory matters, as well as more complex contentious and non-contentious work, including the employment aspects of restructuring and defending clients against compensation claims. The practice is led by Martin Käerdi, with senior associate Reet Saks also noted. Hanna Pahk joined from Sorainen.
Key clients
Marks & Spencer
Nordecon AS
Maxima Eesti OÜ
Eesti Energia AS
Dimedium AS
United Finance AS
Tere AS
Skeleton Technologies
Redgate Capital
Work highlights
- Advising AS Gaasivõrgud on the employment aspects of its restructuring.
- Advising Saint Gobain on its share offering to employees.
- Representing Valmos against a compensation claim relating to working conditions and occupational disease.
Eversheds Sutherland Ots & Co
Led by Tambet Toomela, the employment team at Eversheds Sutherland Ots & Co acts for clients on a range of issues, including day-to-day employment advice, collective redundancy, and disputes over termination and workplace injury. The practice maintains a public profile through lectures and articles concerning new considerations in employment law including mental health, working environment, and harassment. Notable clients include G4S Eesti and the Estonian Bar Association. In one high-profile matter, Toomela advised on the dismissal of a doctor who refused to administer vaccines to children.
Key clients
Tallinn Municipal Medical Centre
AS Eesti Keskonnateenused
Fleep Technologies OÜ
AS G4S Eesti
Estonian Bar Association
Oniar OÜ
Metsi OÜ
AS Postimees Grupp
Verston Holding OÜ
Work highlights
- Advised on the high-profile dismissal of a doctor who refused to administer vaccinations, in an act of non-compliance with state immunisation laws.
- Advised on structuring a collective redundancy framework for a company in liquidation, including drafting relevant documentation and providing day-to-day assistance.
- Negotiated a settlement in a dispute over compensation due to a workplace injury.
NJORD Law Firm
NJORD Law Firm acts for a wide variety of corporate clients in industries such as IT, transport, finance and insurance, as well as working in the public sector, notably assisting SOS Children's Village with issues concerning the regulation of childcare workers, including lobbying on the issue in Parliament. Other work includes day-to-day advice, the drafting of employee contracts, the employment aspects of restructuring, and representing clients in disputes. Experienced employment specialist Katrin Sarap leads the practice, while litigator Triinu Hiob is prolific in work accident and occupational health cases.
Key clients
ERGO Insurance SE
AQ Lasertool OÜ
SOS Children’s Village
Imepilt OÜ
Operail AS
Fontes PMP OÜ
Stoneridge Electronics AS
GoWorkaBit Estonia OÜ
Kim Johansen Transport OÜ
Itella Estonia
Work highlights
- Advising SOS Childrens’s Village on the legal position of child carers with local municipalities, including lobbying in Parliament.
- Assisting GoWorkaBit Estonia with the regulation of short-term employment conditions.
- Representing Ergo Insurance in numerous employment disputes.
TARK
Hannes Küün leads the practice at TARK, which brings sector-specific experience to employment concerns in a number of industries, including IP/IT, manufacturing, banking and finance, retail, transport and logistics. Matters include cross-border employment concerns, occupational safety, benefits and compensation, and trade union relations. Clients include Olympic Entertainment Group and My Fitness.
Key clients
Rakuten Group
Outfunnel OÜ
Klaus
Schmolz + Bickenbach Baltic OÜ
Pixster OÜ
Olympic Entertainment Group
MyFitness AS
Embassy of the United States
SDA Akademia OÜ
Work highlights
- Advising Rakuten Europe on a collective redundancy and a new incentive system.
- Representing Schmolz + Bickenbach in a dispute with a former employee regarding the employee’s non-compete clause.
- Advising Olympic Entertainment Group on planning and implementing a management reorganisation strategy.
Law Firm TEGOS (Formerly TGS Baltic)
TGS Baltic acts on a range of contentious and non-contentious employment matters, including temporary worker contracts, legislative advice, and representing businesses in disputes regarding employee termination and compensation. The practice is led by senior associate Anu Kirss, who primarily acts for clients in the retail, energy, pharmaceutical, and transportation industries.
Key clients
Žemaitijos pienas
Solis Biodyne
Schlössle Hotel Group
Biuro
Kodumaja
Philip Morris
Timbeco Group
Timbeco Woodhouse OÜ
Mammut Element
Morobell Keskühistu
Supelsaksad
Work highlights
- Advising Solis Biodyne on a complex employment termination.
- Advising Phillip Morris on recent and upcoming changes to Estonian labour law.
- Advising Kodumajatehase and KM Element on negotiating agreements for additional temporary employees.
WALLESS
The practice at WALLESS (former Derling Primus) acts on the full range of employment matters including post-M&A restructuring, cross-border staff transfers, hiring and layoff advice, and labour disputes. The firm advises diverse international clients including Michelin Tires, Avon, and LMT, and frequently handles cross-border work. Practice head Toomas Taube is widely praised for his experience and 'hands-on' approach; he advised Corel Corporation as local counsel on the multi-jurisdictional acquisition of Parallel, including the transfer of employees, which involved complex aspects related to employment and immigration law.
Testimonials
‘Very professional and easy to work with. They are responsive and can meet short deadlines.’
Key clients
Avon
Redeem Nordics OÜ
Michelin Group
Latvian Mobile Telephone (LMT)
Corel Corporation
Ėolane Group
AS Liviko
Hireright
HAVI Logistics
Fort Aero AS
Work highlights
- Advising Corel Corporation, as local counsel, on the multi-jurisdictional acquisition of Parallels’s business, including the transfer of employees and other employment-related matters.
- Advising Redeem Nordics on a collective lay-off of approx. 80 employees, as well as on other employment law matters.
- Assistance to Ėolane Group related to service agreements with top management, and immigration law matters related to the hiring of aliens.
Cobalt
Karina Paatsi leads the practice at Cobalt, advising corporate clients on day-to-day and post-M&A employment considerations. Pirkko-Liis Harkmaa left the firm.
WALLESS
FORT advises corporate clients primarily on day-to-day employment considerations including contracts and documentation, as well as more complex work including individual and collective terminations, notably advising Hansabuss on the collective termination of employee agreements and the negotiation of a new agreement. The practice is jointly led by Kirsti Pent and experienced litigator Andreas Veeret.
Key clients
Tuleva
LNK Group
East Capital Real Estate
URETEK Baltic OÜ
Ecolines
Phoenix Group
Crowdestate
Etoiles OÜ
Viru Keskus
LHV Pank
OÜ Perton Ehitus
Work highlights
- Advised Hansa Bussiliinid on a collective termination of employment agreements .
- Assisted Hansabuss and Hansa Bussiliinid with the interpretation and application of the collective agreement with Estonian Transport and Road Workers’ Trade Union.
KPMG Law in Estonia
The 'flexible' team at Advokaadibüroo KPMG Law advises corporate clients primarily on day-to-day employment matters, including employee contracts and agreements, alongside more contentious work such as the termination of employment contracts and removal of board members, with cases argued before the Labour Disputes Committee. The practice is led by Karin Kaup, while 'pragmatic' associate Kaia Kuusler is also noted..
Key clients
Ramirent Shared Services AS
Cramo Estonia AS
AS Glamox
Datomia Research Labs OÜ
IIZI Group AS
Versobank AS (in liquidation)
SOL Baltics OÜ
Polybius Tech OÜ
FoodDocs OÜ
Indro Päll
UAB Ad Baltic
A & R Carton AS
Work highlights
- Advised A&R Carton on the removal of a board member.
- Represented Mr Indro Päll before the Labour Dispute Committee regarding the termination of his employment with Benefit AS.
- Advised Versobank on the employment considerations of its liquidation.